1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inner-force providing input device adapted to generate a click feel on an operating member to be manually operated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are mechanical input devices adapted to generate a click feel on the operating member by the click mechanism. However, there is no inner-force providing input device having a power-operated actuator to deliver a torque to the operating member under electric control thereby generating a click feel thereon. Realizing such an inner-force providing input device has been desired.
In this situation, the present inventor has developed to the present invention in an attempt to meet the foregoing demand, and made the following test product in the development stage of the invention.
The inner-force providing input device trial-made in the development stage of the invention has an operating member to be manually rotated, e.g. rotary knob, a power-operated actuator for delivering a torque to the operating member, e.g. motor, rotation-angle detecting means such as an encoder or potentiometer to detect a rotation angle of the operating member, control means for controlling the motor depending upon a rotation angle of the operating member detected by the rotation-angle detecting means, i.e. a CPU.
The CPU is set such that, during rotation of the rotary knob from a predetermined first angle to a predetermined third angle beyond a predetermined second angle, when the rotary knob is within a range of from the first angle to the second angle, a torque in the same direction as the rotation direction of the rotary knob is delivered from the power-operated actuator to the rotary knob and decreased with an increase in rotation angle of the rotary knob. Incidentally, the maximum value of torque to be provided to the rotary knob is previously set depending upon the motor performance.
Meanwhile, the CPU is set such that, during rotation of the rotary knob from the predetermined first angle to the predetermined third angle beyond the predetermined second angle as in the above, when the rotary knob is within a range of from the second angle to the third angle, a torque in the reverse direction to the rotation direction of the rotary knob is delivered to the rotary knob and increased with an increase in rotation angle of the rotary knob.
The test product of inner-force providing input device thus constructed operates as in the following.
It is assumed that the operator grips the rotary knob and rotates it to the third angle for example. During rotation of the rotary knob, the rotation angle of the rotary knob is continuously detected by the rotation-angle detecting means. During rotation of the rotary knob from the first angle to the second angle, a torque in the same direction as the rotational direction is delivered from the motor to the rotary knob under control of the motor by the CPU. This torque decreases with an increase in rotation angle. Due to this, the operator can have a feel sensation that, during rotation of the rotary knob from the first angle to the second angle, an urging force is delivered to the rotary knob whereby the urging force gradually decreases with rotation of the rotary knob.
Then, during rotation of the rotary knob from the second angle to the third angle, a torque in the reverse direction to the rotational direction is provided from the motor to the rotary knob under control of the motor by the CPU. This torque increases with an increase in rotation angle of the rotary knob. Due to this, the operator can have a feel sensation that, during rotation of the rotary knob from the second angle to the third angle, a resistance force is caused on the rotary knob whereby the resistance force gradually increases with rotation of the rotary knob.
Namely, the above test product of inner-force providing input device can generate a feel, similar to that of a click mechanism at around the time that the rotation angle of the rotary knob reaches the second angle. This can generate a click feel resembling that of a click mechanism when the second angle is exceeded by the rotation angle of the rotary knob.
Incidentally, concerning the prior art document information, in the present there is found no document disclosing a relevant description to the invention.
In the above test product of inner-force providing input device, a feel similar to that of a click mechanism is generated at around the rotation angle of the rotary knob reaches the second angle. Due to this, a click feel resembling that of a click mechanism can be caused when the rotation angle of the rotary knob surpasses the second angle. However, it is impossible to generate a clear click feel similar to a click feel as caused by a click mechanism.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing present situation, and it is an object thereof to provide an inner-force providing input device capable of generating a click feel similar to that of the click mechanism under electric control.